Come What May
by mabbeywriting23
Summary: A look into what could happen when Chicago Fire returns for Season 6 following Stella Kidd and Kelly Severide, but will feature other characters. How will our local heroes at Firehouse 51 deal with the fallout from the finale? Is this the last we've seen of Renee and will there be consequences for the kiss in the courthouse? Main pairing: Stellaride.
1. Chapter 1: A Grand Gesture

A/N: Hello, everyone! I am already missing _Chicago Fire_ so I thought I would try to write out some of my ideas of what could happen next season to pass the time. It's my first time writing _Chicago Fire_ fanfiction so I appreciate any feedback you have! This first chapter is kind of just a starting point from the last few Stellaride scenes from the last episode but will pick up the story in the next chapter. Enjoy and thanks for checking this story out!

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plots belong to _Chicago Fire._

Spoiler Warning: This story may contain spoilers for the latest season of _Chicago Fire_ and other shows in the Chicago universe.

* * *

Chapter 1  
A Grand Gesture

* * *

It took him a moment to realize what was happening, his back against the wall as Renee's hands moved down his chest and her lips moved against his frozen ones. He pushed her away, sending her stumbling back in shock, as his mind drifted to Stella.

Stella, who even as she had grown more frustrated with the time this case was taking up continued to encourage him that he was doing the right thing helping these injured firefighters. Stella, who silently questioned Renee's motives but kept her concerns to herself after seeing how much stress he was under lately with the trial and Grissom. Stella, who tried to quickly hide her disappointment every time he had to shoot down plans to hang out because he was working on the case.

"What the hell are you doing, Renee?" Kelly rubbed a hand down his face, growing more annoyed at the look of surprise on her face.

"Kelly," She said as she took a step towards him, her hands raised in surrender, "I thought, with all the time we've been spending together, that you felt it too."

"Felt what, Renee?" He was growing more frustrated with the situation by the minute, how had she done this again? He felt like an idiot who had wasted his time. He could almost hear Shay in his head telling him something was off about her, just as she had all those years ago. Only this time it was Stella, with every distrusting look that crossed her face when Renee showed up, "I have a girlfriend."

"Oh, come on, Kelly," Renee rolled her eyes, running a hand through her dark hair. "We both know that won't last. She told me not to mess with you, does that sound like a solid relationship to you? She clearly saw what we had and didn't trust you!"

"No, Stella didn't trust you and you just proved her right!"

"Kelly, this is our chance. How many people get a second chance like this?" She grabbed onto his arms and looked into his eyes pleadingly, "We were so good together! I messed up before but the universe is giving us a chance to fix it. My son love you, we can be a real family like we were meant to be all along. Don't throw this away!"

He shook her off, "There is nothing to throw away, Renee, get that through your head. I'm happy with Stella. I was only working this case to try and help those firefighters, mission accomplished. I don't want to see you again."

"Kelly, come on, let's talk this out. We had a huge win today! We should celebrate, grab dinner and talk about everything with a clear head."

"My head is clear, Renee. Congratulations on the case but do not contact me again."

"Kelly!" She called after him as he turned swiftly down the corridor, making the way out of the court house, "Kelly!"

* * *

The crisp Chicago air shocked his system as he made his way into the daylight, moving quickly away from the courthouse. He unlocked his car, climbing inside and resting his head against the steering wheel for a moment. With a deep breath, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to find a text Stella sent earlier this morning; _Good luck today. You got this, see you tomorrow._

Kelly put his phone in the cup holder and started the car, pulling away from the courthouse and heading towards the firehouse. He stayed focused on the road, ignoring the phone vibrating in the console.

He looked at the clock, later in the afternoon than he would've thought. How long had he been testifying for? His fingers tapped against the steering wheel in agitation as he drove through the late afternoon traffic until he pulled up not far down the street from the firehouse.

A sigh escaped as he peered towards the building, clearly able to see Truck 81 and Ambo 61. Severide considered his options. He wanted to see Stella but he was not in the mood to answer a million questions about the trial from everyone else. It didn't seem possible that he could sneak to his office to wait for Truck 81 to return without being seen. Would Stella be able to tell something was wrong right away?

Agitated, he drove back onto the street heading away from the firehouse. He started the well-known route to his apartment as an idea popped into his head. He made a swift U-turn and headed in the opposite direction, driving towards the Herrmann household, a place he found himself spending more and more of his time.

He parked in the usual spot just a few houses down from the Herrmann's. He pulled his overnight bag from the trunk, slipping his phone into his pocket, before making his way down the street. He pulled his key ring out of his pocket as he reached the door to the garage, relieved that Stella had insisted he keep a key to her apartment in case of an emergency, just as he had gotten her to keep her key to his place when she moved out.

Unlocking the door to the garage he moved inside; he could hear the Herrmann children from inside the house. He locked the garage door behind him as he moved towards the stairs that led to Stella's apartment. He climbed the stairs, unlocking her door before slipping inside and locking it behind him, feeling instantly more at ease in the small space.

The phone in his pocket vibrated again and he pulled it out, groaning when Renee's name flashed across the screen again. He declined the call, quickly blocking her number as he cleared the notifications for her eight missed phone calls. He opened the text message from Stella again, typing out a quick reply; _See you tomorrow, stay safe_.

He turned off his phone, not wanting to deal with any other way Renee tried to contact him, before dumping it on the kitchen counter. He abandoned his bag on the couch, instead moving towards Stella's dresser and pulling open the bottom drawer where a number of his belongings had accumulated. Rummaging through the drawers pulling out something to lounge in and moved to the bathroom, wanting to wash the day off of him and relax.

He showered quickly, putting his uniform to the side and changing into his lounge clothes. He moved to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of his favorite beer that Stella always seemed to have on hand. He found leftover Thai in the fridge, remembering the last-minute plans he had to cancel two days ago of watching the game and eating Thai at her place. He pulled out an untouched carton of his favorite and settled onto the couch.

He spent the next few hours flipping through the channels, settling a few times on a sports game and then the news. He cleaned up the leftovers before moving over to the bed, pulling back the familiar quilt and climbing in. Rather than laying on his usual side, he slid over to Stella's inhaling deeply as he caught her scent on the pillow before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Stella checked her phone for seemingly the millionth time since they got in from their last call, hoping to get an update on the case from Severide. She was ready for this trial to be over and dreaded the lack of news meant that it could be dragged on for a few more days.

She was exhausted, they had back-to-back calls for most of the night and into the early morning hours. Although, considering the tense atmosphere in the house and her constantly checking for updates from Kelly, she was almost thankful for the near-constant calls. She smiled as third-shift began to arrive and moved to the locker room to change.

Yawning, she put in her combination and pulled out her bag. She changed quickly, checking her cell phone one more time before moving towards the exit. Almost everyone had dispersed quickly after the trying shift, but she waved to Otis sitting at one of the computers before making her way into the Chicago morning sun.

Shielding her eyes, she scanned the area quickly for Severide's car. They had talked about him picking her up earlier in the week, hoping that it would be the chance to spend even a little bit of time together seeing as it had become so difficult to do so over the past weeks. She checked her phone to find shift had officially ended twenty minutes ago and wondered where Kelly could be.

"You need a ride?" She turned at the unexpected voice as Capp headed towards her.

"Oh," She smiled, "No, thanks, Kelly's going to swing by and pick me up."

"Okay, see you," She smiled and waved as he made his way towards his own car before hitting the button to call Kelly's number. She sighed as it went straight to voicemail. A sick feeling settled into her stomach. She walked to the corner of the street, a bit away from the firehouse and impulsively opened the Uber app on her phone. She quickly confirmed her location and quickly hit the address for Kelly's apartment in her recent destinations.

It didn't take long for the driver to arrive and she climbed into the back seat, happy he didn't try to make conversation and he started the familiar drive to Kelly's apartment. Stella tapped her nails nervously against her phone as she watched the passing scenery, her stomach filling with dread at what she might find when she got there.

She suddenly wished last night had been less busy and she had gotten more sleep as her tired mind drifted to what she might find when she got to the apartment. Would Renee open the door dressed only in that old Chicago Fire Department t-shirt she always stole to sleep in when they stayed at his place? Would she find them in bed, sleeping peacefully not even realizing it was morning? She shook her head, she trusted Kelly. It was going to be fine, no matter how many attempts Renee made. Right?

She thanked the driver as he stopped the car in front of Kelly's apartment building. Swinging her bag over her shoulder she made her way inside, finding her way to his front door on autopilot. She lifted her hand to knock but hesitated, instead reaching for her key ring and finding the correct key. She slipped it into the lock and turned, pushing the door open.

"Kelly?" She called out to the empty apartment. Her stomach flipped as she made her way to his bedroom door. She grabbed the handle and pushed it open, letting out a relieved breath when the room was empty, but furrowing her brow when she noticed the bed didn't seem to have been slept in.

"Where are you?" She asked the empty room as she dialed his number again, nearly throwing the phone when it once again went to voicemail. She grabbed her bag, locking up, and heading back outside. She called for another Uber, admitting defeat and ready to go home. A seemingly permanent pit had settled in her stomach as she wondered if it was better or worse that she didn't find him at home.

* * *

She was thankful for another silent Uber ride as they drove to her apartment. She rubbed a hand over her tired eyes as she tried to focus on anything but Severide. She thanked the driver once again as she climbed out of the car in front of the Herrmann household.

She briefly wondered why Herrmann wasn't home yet when his car wasn't in the driveway, but pushed it out of her mind as she found her key to the garage. She closed up behind her before making her way up the stairs. She unlocked her second door, pushing it open and moving inside, closing it behind her and dumping her bag.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed movement and had to take a double-take when she saw Kelly lounging on her bed, dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, smiling at her.

"What… I… uh," She stuttered as the shock of seeing him lounging on her bed settled, "… I thought you were gonna pick me up."

"You did? No, I was waiting for you. I stayed here."

She took her coat off, taking the time to hang it up next to the door "Uh, did you win?"

"Yeah, case is over," His smile was bright, and he seemed more relaxed than he had in weeks.

She started making her way over to him, settling on the back of the chair near the bed, "And, uh, what about Renee?"

"I told her congratulations, and, uh, there's no reason to see each other again. Then I came here."

"Grand gesture," She said quietly, meeting the slightly confused look in his eyes. She smiled at him as she pushed herself off the back of the chair and settled in his lap, his arms immediately wrapped around her and his lips left a quick kiss on her neck, "I just missed you."

He kissed her cheek and she turned her head to look at his resting against his broad shoulder, "All I think about is you." Her breath hitched in her throat at his confession, he had been getting better at sharing his emotions recently but he could still catch her off guard. She pulled him closer to kiss him, before turning over to face him annoyed with the strange angle. She let him pull her on top of him as he fell back onto the bed, never breaking contact. She worked to pull his t-shirt over his head, before flinging it somewhere behind her, moving to kiss him again. She suddenly wasn't very tired anymore.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think, and look out for the next chapter coming soon.


	2. Chapter 2: Keep Your Phone On

A/N: Hello, everyone! I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts. Please continue to let me know what you think! I'm trying to keep everyone as in character as possible, modifying for certain situations, but enjoy any feedback you have. I am going to try and keep updates coming at every two days, but will let you know if that changes. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plots belong to _Chicago Fire._

Spoiler Warning: This story may contain spoilers for the latest season of _Chicago Fire_ and other shows in the Chicago universe.

* * *

Chapter 2  
Keep Your Phone On

* * *

Kelly woke up a few hours later, having slept better than he had in a while. He looked over to find Stella still fast asleep, peaceful and snoring slightly with her dark hair fanned out around her. He reached for the small clock she had on the nightstand and found they had slept through most of the morning and into the early afternoon.

He put the clock back before carefully rolling off the bed, trying not to wake Stella at least for a little while longer. He tried to remember if she had a shift at Molly's tonight as he grabbed his discarded boxers and pants from the floor, slipping them back on. He gave up trying to find his shirt as he moved towards the kitchen.

Kelly quietly looked through the cabinets until he found a box of Stella's favorite pancake mix, something she almost always had on hand and he wouldn't be surprised to find an identical box in his own cabinets. He pulled out the additional ingredients called for on the box and began whisking the batter in a large bowl. He pulled a flat pan out and turned the stove on, letting it heat up, as he started a pot of coffee. Pouring over the hot pan, he poured out enough batter before grabbing the spatula, waiting for it to start to bubble so he could flip it.

"I must be dreaming," Stella's teasing voice carried from the bed as she rolled on her side to face him in the kitchen, "Are you cooking?"

"I'm a man of many talents," He smiled bright as he flipped the first pancake. "Someone has to get something done around here, Sleeping Beauty." She rolled her eyes as she sat up, bringing the sheet with her, "Long shift?"

"For multiple reasons," She said and he gave a questioning look she waved off, "I'll let you in on all the house gossip later." He rolled his eyes as she climbed out of bed, picking up pieces of clothing off the floor, "I have to be at Molly's tonight, I'm going to jump in the shower quickly."

"Don't take too long, breakfast is almost ready."

"I wouldn't miss it," She teased as she dropped the sheet and made her way towards the bathroom, swinging her hips knowing he was watching.

* * *

Kelly continued making pancakes, his mind wandering as his hands went through the familiar motions. He had a pit in his stomach as he listened to the water of Stella's showering, knowing that when she got out they would have to talk. He had to tell her about Renee's kiss, no matter how long he wanted to stay in their happy bubble.

He heard the water turn off and broke out of his trance. He poured two cups of coffee, fixing them how they liked, before pilling pancakes on two plates. He found the syrup and pulled the butter out of the fridge, placing them all on the counter in front of the two stools Stella had set up.

He smirked when she walked out of the bathroom, wearing his missing t-shirt, her curly hair parted over to one side. He held out her cup of coffee as she made her way over to him.

"You're hotter with a cup of coffee in your hand," She took the cup from him as she sat at one of the stools, savoring her first sip, "Thank you."

"Anytime," He smiled, handing her one of the plates, "How was shift?"

She rolled her eyes as she took her first bite of pancakes, "First of all, these are amazing."

"Flattery," He rolled his eyes but smiled at the compliment.

She laughed as she swallowed, "Second of all, shift was a mess on all fronts. Back to back calls."

"I leave for one day and you all fall apart."

"Yes, you truly hold the entire house together," She joked as she took another sip of her coffee. "Casey and Dawson were off all shift. Then there was a complicated call and Dawson and Brett had it out, they still weren't speaking by the time shift ended. Which ruined Cruz's plan to sweep Brett away for a romantic weekend."

"Cruz and Brett? Jeez, not so sorry I missed this shift then."

"I think it was all the entertainment Capp could handle for a while, even he was ready to go by the end of shift," She laughed. "It'll work itself out, always does."

"True."

"How was the trial?"

He took a deep breath, "It went well. I testified and apparently, they thought it stuck with the jury, they offered a deal."

"That's great!" Stella said, her smile bright.

"Yeah," Kelly nodded, not nearly as enthusiastically.

"What?" She asked, "What's wrong?"

He sighed, putting his coffee cup down, "After Renee told me about the deal she kissed me."

"She kissed you?" Stella asked, standing as he nodded confirmation. She stood and began pacing, out of his reach on the other side of the counter. "I knew she was up to no good, she wouldn't leave you alone. She kept showing up…" She stopped pacing and turned to face him, "Did you kiss her back?"

"No!" He insisted, and Stella felt at least a little better, "I wouldn't do that to you. I don't want anything to do with Renee, I only did this to help those firefighters. One minute she was telling me about the deal and I was happy because it meant this whole thing was over and the next thing I know she is kissing me. I pushed her off and told her I didn't want this, I have a girlfriend."

"And then what happened?" Stella asked, her arms wrapped around herself.

"She tried to tell me this was our second chance, but I shut it down. I told her the trial was over and I wanted nothing to do with her. I came here."

Stella nodded, her own confession coming out of her mouth before she knew what was happening, "I went to your apartment. When you didn't show to pick me up I thought the worst and went to your apartment. I let myself in and checked your bedroom."

"I wouldn't do that to you, Stella." She chanced looking at him and couldn't look away, "Renee kept saying that this was the second chance we deserved, but she was wrong. This," He emphasized pointing between the two of them, "Is the second chance I want. I meant what I said last night. I should've seen what you saw in her and I'm sorry I even gave her the chance to make a move like that."

"Why didn't you tell me this morning?"

"I just wanted everything to be normal. I knew I needed to tell you but I just wanted a little bit of time with you first. I missed you too."

Stella nodded, feeling slightly comforted by his confession. "I need to get ready and head to Molly's. We can finish this later."

"Stella…"

"I just need a little time to get my head together, Kelly. We'll be fine and we can talk tonight."

He nodded, watching her as she dug through her drawers for some clothes before moving to the bathroom. He put himself to work cleaning up from breakfast, feeling slightly numb and cursing Renee for walking back into his life.

* * *

Stella locked the bathroom door behind her and let herself slide down to the floor, taking a deep breath and cursing any tears that filled her eyes. She knew Renee was up to no good and she cursed Kelly's good nature for giving her the benefit of the doubt. She wouldn't let her win, she vowed. Kelly said no and came home to her. Renee lost and Stella wouldn't let her get in the middle of one of the best things that had ever happened to her.

She dressed quickly in the dark jeans and low-cut red tank she had grabbed. She spent some time applying her makeup, finishing with a dark lip. Any traces of tears were gone. Renee would not get to her, or them like this. She made her move and it failed.

Stella exited the bathroom to a clean apartment. The kitchen was put back together, all remnants of their mid-afternoon breakfast gone. The bed was made and their clothes were put away in the hamper. Kelly sat on her couch, dressed in a new t-shirt, slightly on edge, standing when she saw her exit the bathroom.

She slipped on her black boots near the door, before moving to find her phone in her discarded bag. She pulled it out, only to discover it was dead, before slipping it into her purse. She stood to find Kelly still standing by her couch, hands in his pockets.

She made her way over to him, smiling slightly when she reached him, "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing," He said surprised at the question, "Head home I guess."

"Don't," She requested. "Come by Molly's around ten, I'll save my break. Stay here tonight, we can talk."

"I'd like that."

"We'll work this out," She insisted, kissing him briefly on the cheek. "I'll see you later?"

"Yes," He confirmed without hesitation, "I'll see you at Molly's."

She nodded, grabbing her leather jacket and bag before heading out.

* * *

Stella pulled into a spot at Molly's, quickly exiting her vehicle and heading inside. It was nearly time to open and Otis and Herrmann were already behind the bar, Mouch sitting at one of the stools.

"There she is, finally," Herrmann said as Stella made her way behind the bar, plugging her phone in at the charger they kept back there.

"I'm early," She snapped as she turned to face Herrmann who had come to meet her, Otis and Mouch were in quiet conversation at the other end of the bar.

He held his hands up in surrender, "Woah, everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine."

"You sure?" Herrmann asked, "I called you a few times today, Severide too, both went straight to voicemail. Have you seen him?"

"I've seen him," She said fidgeting with the glasses behind the bar despite the fact that it was clear Otis and Herrmann had already prepped everything for the night.

"Well did the trial go okay? Is it over?" He asked cautiously.

"It's over," Stella confirmed, "They won."

"That's great… isn't it?"

"It is," She agreed picking up a glass and wiping an imaginary smudge off it.

"So, what's with all the sunshine? Did Severide do something to piss you off?"

"Kelly didn't do anything," She sighed, putting the glass back down. "Apparently, my little talk with Renee didn't get through her thick skull."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Stella saw Otis and Mouch out of the corner of her eye, leaning in to listen closer, she lowered her voice even if she didn't think it would help much, "She decided to celebrate with a kiss."

"Aw, jeez," Herrmann muttered looking apologetic remembering their conversation at the firehouse, "Did Severide…"

"No, Kelly stopped her," She said, "But I knew she was going to try something like this and I just stood by and watched." She paused, lowering her voice again but by the silence at the other end of the bar knew Otis and Mouch had gotten an earful, "I told his to help out with the trial, I created this situation in the first place."

"You know that's not true. Renee is the one who created the situation, and fortunately it seems that Severide has smartened up over the years and finally noticed when he got something good going."

Stella smiled at him, "Thanks, Herrmann."

"Anytime. So, is Severide still alive and in one piece?"

She rolled her eyes, "He's alive and in one piece."

"And Renee?"

"Let's just say she's lucky I haven't seen her."

"We all know not to get on your bad side," He held up his hands in surrender, "I told you she was a wackadoo."

Stella laughed, "Next time I'll head your warning and trust your judgement."

"That's all I ask," He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Let me know if you need anything."

"I will, thanks, Herrmann."

They moved towards the other end of the bar where Otis and Mouch hurried to make it seem like they were looking anywhere else. Stella rolled her eyes and Otis cleared his throat before asking, "Did you fill her in?"

Herrmann winced as Stella gave him a questioning look, "Fill me in on what?"

"I wasn't just calling you and Severide to check up on the case. Grissom was named commissioner this morning."

"Damn," Stella said, "How'd Boden take it."

"Boden isn't the problem," Mouch offered, "It's what Otis found."

"Grissom's been tampering with the numbers to make himself look better, going back a dozen years."

"No," She said looking around at their faces hoping it wasn't true, "He was Kelly's mentor, he's going to be crushed. And Boden, he deserved this promotion." She wondered if they were going to catch a break anytime soon, "Did you report it?"

"Got there just in time for Grissom's press conference, couldn't get to the mayor," Mouch said, "Boden said to sit on it we would talk next shift."

"We thought Severide should know," Herrmann said, "Tried to call in Casey too, but apparently, no one is picking up today."

Stella rolled her eyes, "Kelly's supposed to be by around ten for my break. We can let him know tonight. I don't think his phone is on but I can try him."

"Well if he was going to answer it'd be for you," Herrmann said as he moved to unlock the front door and open Molly's, "New rule, everyone keep your damn phones on."

"Hear, hear," Mouch seconded, raising the pint of beer Otis had just poured for him. Stella went to grab her cell.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the read and keep your eyes out for the next chapter coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3: Can't Catch a Break

A/N: Hello, everyone! I am so sorry for the wait with this chapter! My computer was having issues and I had to give it over to Apple for a few days to get it fixed. Some of my writing was deleted but I am working quickly to rewrite it and get the updates out to you. I want to thank everyone for their patience and sticking with this story. Updates should be more regular now that my laptop is back. I hope this chapter was worth the wait!

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plots belong to _Chicago Fire._

Spoiler Warning: This story may contain spoilers for the latest season of _Chicago Fire_ and other shows in the Chicago universe.

* * *

Chapter 3  
Can't Catch a Break

* * *

As darkness fell Molly's quickly filled up with its regulars, keeping Stella busy even if her mind was distracted. Kelly hadn't picked up her call, but it had gone straight to voicemail so she figured his phone was still turned off. She smiled as she placed drinks in front of a table before turning back to the bar, running into Cruz as he entered.

"Hey, Cruz," She smiled as she joined Otis behind the bar; Cruz sat next to Mouch as Otis poured him a drink, "Brett isn't with you?"

"Haven't seen her," He said as he slumped in his seat, "Have you?" He asked Otis, "I'm not sure where she went after shift, I don't think she's been home."

"I haven't seen her," Otis said before moving to the other side of the bar to tend to customers.

"You haven't heard from her?" Cruz asked Stella as she shook her head.

"I haven't. I can try and get a hold of her, maybe see if she wants to hang out soon."

"Yeah."

"She had a rough shift, Cruz. We've all been there, we will get her through this."

"Yeah, thanks."

Stella gave Mouch a sympathetic smile as she abandoned him with the gloomy Cruz. She grabbed two beers and moved over to the table near the back which Tony and Capp had claimed earlier.

"Hey, guys," She said as she placed the fresh beers in front of them and claimed the empty bottles.

"Thanks, Stella." Capp said taking a swig of his new drink.

"Hey, is Severide coming by tonight?" Tony asked.

"He should be by later," Stella confirmed, "Let me know if you guys need anything." They both smiled in thanks as she went back to the bar, disposing of the empty bottles before pouring a drink for another patron.

* * *

Stella checked the clock as she wiped down the bar, noting that Kelly should be there in just over an hour. She was excited to see him but the fact that they had to break the news about Grissom weighed heavily on her mind. She was relieved that Molly's didn't seem too crowded tonight, despite Herrmann's complaining. She wasn't looking forward to a crowd with news like this.

She wished her mind hadn't been distracted and she noticed Capp's look of shock or heard Otis as he called her name from the other side of the bar where he was gathered with Herrmann and Mouch. Instead, it was her voice that reached her first.

"Stella," Renee said as she stalked towards where she stood behind the bar, "Where is he?"

Stella wasn't sure if she was more shocked or annoyed that Renee showed her face here after what she had pulled after the trial. Seeing her in Molly's only built on the annoyance of the last time she saw her here, interrupting the game she had come up with for Kelly.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cruz and Capp stand up from the table they were sitting at near the back with Tony, Cruz having joined the table not long ago. She knew she had the attention of Otis, Herrmann, and Mouch at the other end of the bar, and probably everyone else's attention as well. She tried to keep herself calm as she answered, wanting to give Renee a piece of her mind but knowing this wasn't the place.

"Who?" She asked feigning ignorance and enjoying the snarl of annoyance that crossed Renee's face.

"Don't play dumb with me," She had reached the bar and her finger was pointing erratically in Stella's face, "I know you are making him ignore my calls. I want to see him, where is he?"

"First of all," Stella began, knocking Renee finger out of her face, "I don't control Kelly. If he isn't answering your calls it's because he doesn't want to answer your calls. Second of all, he clearly isn't here, so I think it's time you leave before you make a bigger scene."

"Well he isn't at his apartment," She exclaimed, getting louder. "I'm not afraid of you or what you think you have with Kelly. This is our time for a second chance, we deserve this. We can be a real family; my son adores Kelly and you are standing in the way of that."

"Shouldn't you be home with your son right now?" Stella questioned. "Go home, Renee. Your son needs you and if you are right then I'm sure Kelly will call you back."

"He won't call me because you won't let him," She slapped her hand on the bar as she continued her tantrum, "I don't know who you think you are threatening me about what I can or can't do with Kelly. He was mine long before he was yours and I won't let you stand in our way."

"Listen carefully, Renee. I warned you not to mess with Kelly and you didn't listen, and now you're mad it didn't work out the way you wanted it to. That's your problem, but you need to be an adult and go home to your son. Kelly has moved on, you broke his heart years ago and have to come back to reality and realize he move on with his life and hasn't been waiting around for you! Now, please leave, you are not welcomed here."

Renee was steaming and Stella could feel her own blood boiling, "I don't answer to you and I'm not leaving until I see Kelly."

Stella felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and turned to find Herrmann facing Renee, "You heard her, Renee. You need to leave. I won't have you making a scene in my bar."

"This is ridiculous," Renee started, but paused as she looked around. Otis was inching closer, and Mouch had put down his glass to face the situation. Both Capp and Cruz were itching to move over to the bar and it seemed only Tony was keeping them from escalating the situation. She was clearly on the losing side. "Fine," She huffed as raised her hands in surrender, "This isn't over."

"I would love to have a conversation with you about this outside my place of business," Stella returned her threat, enjoying the fuming look on her face as she turned on her heel. She let out a frustrated sigh as she kept her eyes on her until the door closed firmly.

"What a wackadoo," Herrmann muttered when she was finally gone.

"Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," He said as he gave her shoulder another squeeze. She noticed Cruz and Capp finally sitting back down and Otis and Mouch pretending to discuss something. "Go check inventory in the back for a while."

"Thanks," She said as he pushed her towards the door. She returned the reassuring smiles of the squad table before retreating to the quiet sanctuary of the backroom. She picked up the clipboard and got to work, figuring the more she got done now would at least mean less she had to finish up tonight.

* * *

Kelly opened the door to Molly's at ten on the dot, hoping Stella would be happy to see him. He ignored the curious looks the guys sitting at Molly's squad table gave him as he moved towards the bar, disappointed he didn't see Stella right away. He sat down next to Mouch as Otis turned in the opposite direction to avoid him, heading towards the back room.

"What's with Otis?" Severide asked Mouch as he sat down.

"Oh, it's been an eventful night," He responded cryptically.

Severide looked up to see Herrmann approaching them, "Hey, where's Stella?"

"Inventory in the back," He said as he leaned towards him on the bar. "I got a question for you and I'm only going to ask once."

"Okay," Severide said, "What's up?"

"You serious about this thing with Kidd or are you just stringing her along again?"

"Woah," Kelly said, "It really isn't anyone's business what's going on between Stella and I."

"She moved out of your apartment because she was worried things were moving too fast. That and this thing with Renee…"

Kelly groaned, "She told you about that?"

"Well she told Herrmann," Mouch supplied taking another sip of his drink, "The rest of us got to see the action live when Renee came in here yelling about you not calling her back."

"Renee came here?" He asked Herrmann.

"Put on a real show," Herrmann confirmed. "So, I'm going to ask you one time if you are serious about this thing with Kidd this time. She is one of us so if you are just messing around or have plans to go back to that wackadoo than put an end to this now before she gets hurt."

Mouch nodded next to him, seemingly agreeing with Herrmann's sentiment, "I'm not messing around. I swear." Kelly promised, "I'm not going to hurt her, Herrmann."

Herrmann watched him for a moment before smiling, "Good, because she's a big step up from who you usually date."

"Don't I know it," He agreed as the door swung open and Otis and Stella emerged. Herrmann pushed off the bar where he was leaning near Severide and moved to stand closer to Mouch as Stella made her way over, smiling at Severide.

Kelly watched her make her way over, a million thoughts going through his head about the Renee situation, as she grabbed his favorite beer and opened the bottle, sliding it over to him, "Hey."

"Hey," He responded trying to get a read on her.

"Did you guys fill Severide in?" Otis asked coming up behind Stella.

Severide answered before Herrmann or Mouch could, "I'm sorry, I didn't think she would come here…"

Stella put her hand over his stopping him as Mouch responded, "You miss a lot when you don't answer your phone. Renee isn't the thing."

"What?" He asked confused as Stella confirmed what Mouch said with a shake of her head, "What's going on?"

"Grissom was named commissioner this morning," Herrmann offered.

"Damn," Severide said, his torn feelings towards this commissioner race resurfacing, but basking in the fact that Stella's hand was still covering his own, "How is Boden?"

"That's still not the thing," Mouch said unhelpfully from beside him.

"Then what's the thing?" Kelly asked annoyed looking at Stella's face, worrying when she wouldn't hold eye contact, "What's the thing?"

"I was comparing reports from when I was recovering," Otis said. "Something said the other day bugged me so I wanted to check…"

"Check what?" Kelly asked, his temper wearing thin.

Stella finally made eye contact with him as she continued for Otis, "Otis found discrepancies in the reports. Grissom's reports." She sighed, "I'm sorry, Kelly. Grissom has been tampering with the numbers since 2006."

"What?" Kelly asked, looking at their faces trying to figure out the joke, "No way."

"Way," Otis confirmed as he pulled out a folder, "He consistently changed the numbers."

Kelly took the folder from his hand, his eyes scanning the pages, "This isn't possible."

"Severide…" Herrmann tried.

"No, I trained under him for years! I would know if he was dirty."

"Let's go get some air," Stella suggested as she moved out from behind the bar getting a nod from Herrmann. Kelly followed as she pulled him from the stool and took the folder before moving him out the back door.

* * *

The chilly air hit Stella quickly as she and Kelly moved into the back alley behind Molly's. She stood with her arms crossed, holding the folder close as she let Kelly take a few moments to pace. She watched him move back and forth, shaking his head as he let his mind wrap around the information.

She counted to three hundred in her head before she spoke, "Kelly."

"I just need a minute." He said as he continued to pace, muttering under his breath. It was a few more moments before he finally slowed, "Can I see those papers again?"

She nodded as he moved to stand next to her under the dim back light. She opened the folder and handed it over to him, but he didn't move far. Reading them in a way that she too could see the differing reports in the dim light.

"What the hell was he thinking?" Kelly muttered as he read over the reports.

"Kelly…"

"Dammit," He cursed, handing her back the folder as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "Everything was a lie with him."

"No, it wasn't. Not everything…"

"Yes, it was! Everything he taught me was about being a better firefighter for duty and honor. At least that's what I thought, but I was an idiot!"

"You were not an idiot."

"I was," He said frustrated, taking to pacing again. "I should've seen it all along. His obsession with rank, wanting me to move up in rank. Earn accommodations. It wasn't about me, it was about validating his numbers and the men he helped train."

"He still cares about you," She tried, "He messed up but that doesn't mean he didn't care about you."

"That doesn't mean much when everything else was a lie," He sighed, calming slightly, now that he had the chance to think everything through, "What's the plan?"

"Haven't gotten that far," She said, allowing him to put aside his personal feelings about Grissom for the moment to discuss the house. "They were bringing the evidence to the mayor when they got the news and then they couldn't get a hold of him."

"Grissom must've been pleased, thinking he got away with it all."

"He underestimates 51," She said, before sobering, "Kelly, whatever plan is devised you don't have to be a part of it. I know Grissom is still important to you. Everyone will understand."

"Grissom isn't the man I thought I knew," Kelly said, "I've already chosen my side."

"Okay," She nodded, "Then let's get a plan together."

She turned to go inside, "Wait," She stopped turning to face him, "About Renee."

"Ah, Herrmann let you know about the show you missed. We can't catch a break, huh?" She joked.

"I'm sorry she came looking for me and took it out on you," He said, coming to stand next to her, leaning against the wall.

"I can handle, Renee. Although you might have to move."

"What?" He asked confused.

"Apparently, she was waiting outside your apartment for you to come home," Severide started laughing, and Stella threw him a confused glance, "What is so funny about that act of stalking?"

"She doesn't know where I live," He said, still laughing but calming down, "She must be sitting outside my old apartment terrorizing the new renters."

A laugh escaped Stella's lips before she jokingly reprimanded him, "That's not funny, those poor people!"

"Whatever keeps her away from us," Severide said turning serious again, "I'm really sorry about this."

"I know," She confirmed, caressing his face softly, "We still have to talk about it, but later. When we get home."

"Agreed," He confirmed giving her a smile, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," She confirmed, realizing she had even in the short time they were apart. She pushed him lightly against the wall before meeting his lips with a kiss, letting herself get carried away for a few moments, "My break is up."

"I dare one of them to come looking for us after the night we had," Kelly argued kissing her again.

She laughed, kissing him one more time, "We have things to discuss, plans to be made. The sooner we finish up here the sooner we can go home."

"I like the sound of that," He relented, opening the door for her and following her back inside Molly's to figure out the best way to deal with Grissom.

* * *

A/N: Thanks again for dealing with the wait! Hope you enjoyed and I am quickly working to get the next chapter up to try and make up for it!


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